School unions lobby against property tax cap

ALBANY - A special commission created to find a way to cap New Yorkers' property taxes may not call for a cap after all.

The powerful New York State United Teachers union opposes the cap that would limit how much most school districts could raise through the local tax levy.

“A tax cap makes no sense if we are serious about our efforts to maintain a high-quality education system and close the achievement gap” between poor and wealthier districts, said Richard C. Iannuzzi, NYSUT's president. “Tax caps do nothing to impact the rising costs facing school districts.”